| Augsburg Cathedral in Augsburg, Bavaria is recognized | | | | made their versions of medieval windows for Gothic |
| as having the oldest stained glass windows in the | | | | Revival buildings. These Gothic style windows |
| world dating back to the 12th century. This old | | | | enhanced churches and simple ornamental windows |
| Romanesque church is located about 40 miles North | | | | were the norm until the development of a distinctive |
| of Munich in the southern central part of Germany. | | | | American style by John LaFarge and Louis Comfort |
| If we think about stained glass windows even for a | | | | Tiffany. |
| moment, our first thought is what we see in a church. | | | | These were two American painters who began |
| Stained glass as first used in cathedrals, was thought | | | | experimenting with stained glass, independent of each |
| to signify Light, as the first act of God's creation, and | | | | other and soon became competitors. The finest |
| was recognized as the purest manifestation of God's | | | | examples of John La Farge's work can be found in |
| presence, as the stained glass windows only came to | | | | Harvard University's Memorial Hall, the windows of |
| life when illuminated by the light. To medieval | | | | Trinity Church in Boston, and in Judson Memorial |
| theologians, the vibrant holy images depicted in the | | | | Church, New York. John La Farge (1835-1910) designed |
| windows were therefore brought to life by God's | | | | stained glass between 1874 and his death. LaFarge |
| presence. Not many people were able to read or write | | | | developed and copyrighted opalescent glass in 1879. |
| in the Middle Ages. Stained glass windows told the | | | | Tiffany popularized it and his name became |
| stories of the Bible and of the Saints in pictures, and | | | | synonymous with opalescent glass and the American |
| the guides, who were perhaps the monks themselves, | | | | glass movement |
| would explain their content to the pilgrims who came | | | | We now use stained glass in our homes as accents |
| to worship. | | | | for our windows. It's easy to have the look of a |
| During the Renaissance period, stained glass began to | | | | stained glass window with the many reproduction |
| become a fashionable addition to residences and public | | | | pieces made today that hang in front of our windows, |
| buildings. Much of what stained glass was became | | | | letting the light shine through. When thinking of a |
| forgotten. The 18th century saw the removal of many | | | | window treatment for a solitary window, such as in a |
| medieval stained glass windows. They were replaced | | | | small room or in a stairwell or hallway, give some |
| by painted glass and the beautiful old stained glass | | | | thought to hanging a gorgeous stained glass piece in |
| was dismissed as out-of-date. | | | | front of your window to brighten up the space and |
| In the 19th century there was a resurgence of interest | | | | give it more emphasis than it would normally get. |
| in Gothic architecture and glass studios in England | | | | |